Transcriptions

Like many bassists of my generation, I grew up loving the grooves on Michael Jackson’s records, be it Louis Johnson’s slapped parts on the Off the Wall album, or the heavy synth lines from albums like Thriller and Bad. But the track we all wanted to be able to play was “Speed Demon” from Bad,... »

This month’s transcription is “Cowboy from Prague,” a short piece by Polish slap bass wizard Wojtek Pilichowski, recorded at the Aguilar Artist Loft earlier in 2014. Wojtek has made a name for himself in recent years with his hard-hitting and energetic slap technique. True to form, he packs a lot of ideas into this short... »

This month’s transcription is “Overjoyed” by Victor Wooten. This superb arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s classic song was originally found on Victor’s debut album A Show of Hands, although this video from 1987 shows that Victor had been playing it for nearly ten years prior to the release of that album: I believe that this arrangement... »

“Continuum” is one of the most well known songs for bass players, and I’d argue it is one of the greatest tunes on Jaco Pastorius’s self-titled debut album. (I’d also argue it is one of the best albums, ever). It is difficult to cover any Jaco song, and especially one with his signature fretless sound... »

“Cee-Tee-Eye” is from Marcus Miller’s 2012 album Renaissance, recorded to feature the new band Marcus assembled for the Tutu Revisited tour, which was a celebration of the Miles Davis album from the mid-80’s Miller contributed heavily to. The title for “Cee-Tee-Eye” is a nod to the various albums released on the CTI Records label, which... »

Just as I was wondering which piece to select for this month’s transcription, along comes this killer track from super-talented bassist Fernando Lamadrid and drummer Rick Arencibia. This one has it all: harmonic-laden odd-time grooves, funky slap lines, chordal work and several jaw-dropping solos. Perfect! Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: “Mollete Express” opens... »

Among the great tunes on Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled solo debut was “(Used to Be A) Cha-Cha”. His solo is a tricky one, at an upbeat tempo and with Jaco’s trademark melodic and syncopated lines. Along with Jaco, Hubert Laws (piccolo and flute), Herbie Hancock (piano), Lenny White (drums) and Don Alias (congas) performed on the... »

This month’s transcription is bassist Tal Wilkenfeld’s fantastic solo on the Jeff Beck classic “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”. There are several live recordings of this track, but the one transcribed here is from the Crossroads Guitar Festival from 2007. Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: Tal’s stellar performance on this track has proved... »

This month’s transcription is “Boomerang”, a funk-filled slap-fest from Hungarian bassist Viktor Lörincz we originally featured back in 2011. This chops-heavy piece is a great workout for anyone looking to take their slapping and tapping skills to the next level. Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: Viktor opens the piece with a Latin-flavored tapping... »

Today I’m going to be talking you through my transcription for my band’s song “Make Total Destroy” from our latest album Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal. (Check out the recent video feature here on No Treble). You’ll need a 5-string bass with 24 frets to be able to play the song in its entirety,... »